Avengers Doomsday May Be Doomed To Fail - Is Downey Jr. To Blame, Or Are There Other Issues?
In a year of films that rocked audiences and brought thousands back to theatres, one of the most hotly anticipated films of the decade is still yet to be released, but there is still a lot up in the air.
From Phil Lord and Christopher Miller’s Project Hail Mary, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Destin Daniel Cretton’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day and all the way to breakout indie films like Curry Barker’s Obsession, filmgoers saw just how good the cinema experience can be.
Audiences saw originality and a dedication to filmmaking come through on the screen, at a time when the medium needed it the most, as fewer and fewer flocked to theatres; 2026 may have rebuilt a lot of trust with the average viewer.
But one of the major tentpole films of the year is still a little over 80 days away, as Robert Downey Jr. is set to carry Marvel Studios’ Avengers: Doomsday into cinemas on December 18th.
While it seems that there is a lot of attention, buzz, and interest around the film that will undoubtedly get bums in seats come December, there are, however, many things going for and against the film.
Robert Downey Jr. as Dr Doom is just confusing
One of the main issues a lot of fans have is with the main character and lead actor. While Dr Doom is the villain of the film, he will likely have the most screen time of the film, making him the protagonist in a weird way.
But why RDJ? Well, nobody really knows, other than Marvel themselves.
RDJ kickstarted the MCU in 2008 with Iron Man, and held it aloft all the way through to Tony Stark’s death in Avengers: Endgame, and many fans are wondering why he has been brought back.
There will undoubtedly be an explanation in the film as to why he resembles the Stark we knew, but it does feel like it cheapened the “I am Iron Man” moment at the end of the 2019 film.
RDJ is a talented actor, but is Marvel seriously arguing that he was the only actor available, willing, and capable of bringing Victor Von Doom to the big screen?
It did seem like a panic move back in 2024 when he was announced, following the move away from Jonathan Majors and Kang the Conqueror, to bring a big name like RDJ, and pivot towards Doom.
Time will tell whether or not bringing him back was the right choice. But for now, many fans just want to know why, and if the reason either doesn’t feel worth it or is not revealed, there will be a sour taste in the mouth of many fans when the credits roll.
Lack of build-up
Looking back to the Infinity Saga that concluded with Thanos in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, every film led up to and seemed to align with the plan that Kevin Feige, Marvel Studios’ CEO, had in place.
Going into those films, audiences knew who Thanos was and what his goal was, but with Doctor Doom, aside from a brief shot in the post-credit scene of Fantastic Four: First Steps, fans have no idea what to expect or what is coming.
Marvel and Feige, however, have looked to dispel this belief, as speaking to Brandon Davis at San Diego Comic-Con, the creative behind the MCU said: “I remember the memes, making fun of Thanos for just sitting in a chair."
"And when we got to Infinity War, we said, this is really the introduction of Thanos to people"
“That's how that movie was built [and] that's what we're doing with Doom, Doomsday is an introduction and the story of Doom.”
However, Feige may be forgetting an appearance at the end of the first Avengers outing, a scene or two in the Guardians of the Galaxy film, as well as heavy exposition across several films explaining the importance of the Infinity Stones to his end goal.
The same can be said for the Fantastic Four, as throughout Jonathan Hickman’s 2015 Secret Wars comic series, all of the members of Marvel’s first family are pivotal to the plot. However, with just one film under their belt (that a lot of fans skipped), we do not have the same familiarity with them as someone like Thor, or any of the Thunderbolts who have been around for quite some time.
Competition from other films
Doomsday releases on the same day as Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three, with the latter film having IMAX exclusivity for the first three weeks of its release.
This has prompted Marvel to come up with its own premium format, Infinity Vision, in an attempt to claw back some of that money that they have lost from IMAX.
That being said, with a cost of living crisis and Christmas just around the corner, people may have to make a choice to see one or the other on release day, which may harm both films' box offices.
Marvel currently feels like homework
It is a long-held belief amongst fans that since Avengers: Endgame, and Marvel ramping up their release schedule, it has become harder and harder to follow what is going on.
With so many projects to catch up on before Doomsday arrives, many viewers feel like it is impossible to know everything and catch all the references.
Add to that the fact that the original X-Men are going to be returning; this means that people will have at least three more films (if you only watch the original trilogy) to know who those people are, and why they are important.
However, given that so far, any character that has only appeared in a Disney+ show and not yet featured in a theatrical release will miss out on Doomsday, viewers may be able to skip a few projects and only watch the films/TV shows of characters that are confirmed to be in the film.
While Doomsday does have a lot going against it, Patrick Stewart’s Professor X, Ian McKellen’s Magneto and James Marsden’s Cyclops are making their MCU debut, alongside their characters interacting with mainstay MCU heroes, as well as the Fantastic Four and Dr Doom himself. This should be more than enough to sell out theatres for a good few weeks of the film's run, regardless of the quality or critical reception of the film.
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